Trae Patton/NBC L-R: Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and John Legend at the live finale perfomances in 2019.
Season 18 of The Voice premieres on Monday, February 24, but the coaches’ lineup looks slightly different than last season’s. Gwen Stefani will no longer be one of the coaches, with Nick Jonas taking her place alongside Blake Shelton, John Legend and Kelly Clarkson.
Since Gwen Stefani is in a relationship with Blake Shelton, it might seem strange that she’s no longer on The Voice, especially after only coming back for season 17 in the fall of 2019. Gwen Stefani is the only cast member change for this season.
Here’s what you need to know about Gwen Stefani leaving The Voice:
The Voice Likes to Rotate Coaches to Allow Artists to Continue Their Music Careers
NBC Entertainment released a statement on October 7, 2019 saying that Nick Jonas would be replacing coach Gwen Stefani: “As a member of one of the hottest pop groups, Nick’s success in navigating all aspects of the music industry is exceptional.”
The statement continued, “We were so impressed by his innate musicality, technical aptitude and passion that he brought to Songland earlier this year and know he will be an incredible fit as a coach on The Voice. We are excited to see Nick lend his mentorship, relatability and breadth of knowledge to a new crop of artists.”
There is nothing dramatic behind Gwen Stefani’s exit; it’s because the show likes to rotate coaches for different seasons so that the artists can continue working on their music careers. The 50-year-old pop singer is currently in the middle of a residency in Las Vegas called “Just a Girl,” and she has dates in February and May 2020, which is during The Voice’s spring cycle.
Gwen Stefani also released a duet single with Blake Shelton called “Nobody but You” on December 13, 2019, and they also performed the song live at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26. Blake Shelton was asked about his feelings on Gwen’s departure from The Voice, and he answered jokingly: “I’m gonna take it out on Nick Jonas.”
Gwen Stefani Has Left ‘The Voice’ Before & Returned; She Hasn’t Ruled Out the Possibility of Another Return
This isn’t the first time that Gwen Stefani has left The Voice and returned. She was also a judge for seasons 7, 9 and 12 of the show. For season 17, she came in as a replacement to long-standing judge Adam Levine. She has also worked as an advisor for seasons 8 and 10.
After the season 17 finale, Stefani posted on Twitter:
Can’t believe it’s over!! This season has been so incredible & I’m so lucky to have been surrounded by @nbcthevoice coaches, crew & talent of #TeamGwen 🙏 @IamRoseShort u r so special & this is only the beginning 💕 gx #VoiceFinale #grateful
She captioned a photo with boyfriend Blake Shelton and finalist Rose Short: “Can’t believe it’s over!! This season has been so incredible & I’m so lucky to have been surrounded by [NBC’s The Voice] coaches, crew & talent of #TeamGwen.”
She hasn’t ruled out a return to The Voice, having previously said how much she loves working on the show and the inspiration she draws from it. In an interview with ET, she shared how great it was working on the show with Blake:
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‘The Voice’ 2020 Cast Changes: Why Isn’t Gwen Stefani a Coach?